Gothic-class Cruiser

An Imperial Gothic-class Cruiser

The Imperial Gothic-class Cruiser is a powerful starship that is a familiar sight throughout the Imperium of Man, with numerous vessels operating in each of the Imperial Navy's Segmentum battlefleets. A potent force in its own right, the class carries the heaviest Lance array of any Imperial cruiser in the Gothic Sector, making it a deadly adversary for enemy vessels of all size classes. The Gothic's six torpedo tubes give it the ability to attack at long range and break up enemy formations, allowing it to get to close range where it can bring its devastating Lance armament to bear. However, as powerful as they were, the Gothic's Lances could not deal damage fast enough to win a one-on-one duel with an opposing vessel. This deficiency was most ably illustrated in two separate encounters of the Gothic War between the Gothic-class Righteous Fury and the Chaos Repulsive-class Grand Cruiser Bloodied Sword wherein the Righteous Fury barely escaped after suffering severe damage and inflicting few hits of its own.

With this weakness exposed, it was apparent that the Gothic-class Cruiser could only be successful when accompanied by other starships, calling for a change in tactics. Such a change was pioneered by Captain Hodge of the Righteous Fury, pairing Gothic-class ships with either a second Cruiser or a squadron of Escorts. In combat, the Gothic-class warship would engage the enemy broadside while its partner would race around to attack the foe from the bow or stern. The Gothic-class truly came into its own with these new tactics, as they used the Gothic's heavy Lances to good effect by knocking down the enemy's Void Shields and allowing the Gothic warship's consorts to attack while preventing the enemy from escaping the Gothic's partners. This allowed the Gothic-class to become a valuable Imperial asset in the later stages of the Gothic War, with the most notable such contributions being the destruction of the Chaos Cruisers Cackling Hate and Glorious Bloodbath.

Notable Gothic-class Cruisers

• Righteous Fury - The Righteous Fury fought in the Gothic War. It was nearly destroyed by the Chaos Repulsive-class Grand Cruiser Bloodied Sword on two separate occasions, and its commander Captain Hodge pioneered the tactical changes that finally made the Gothic-class a valuable weapon in the Imperial Navy's arsenal.
• Sword of Orion - The Sword of Orion fought in the Gothic War. It was one of five Imperial capital ships that participated in Admiral Mourndark's destruction of a major band of pirates in the Quinrox Sound.
• Pallas Imperious - The Pallas Imperious was assigned to Battlefleet Armageddon before its destruction. Its hulk would then be used as the basis for the Ork Battleship Slamblasta.
• Invincible - The Invincible fought and earned renown in the Gothic War.
• Emperor's Wrath - The Emperor's Wrath fought and earned renown in the Gothic War.
• Drachenfels - The Drachenfels fought and earned great renown during the Gothic War. His Flag-Captain, Erwin Ramas, became a legendary example for Battlefleet Gothic thanks to his kill tally, his tactical acumen, his volatile temper, and the fact that he continued to serve for years after being mortally wounded and encased in a dreadnought-like life supporting system, directly linked with his beloved ship's systems.

Sources

• Battlefleet Gothic Rulebook
• Battlefleet Gothic Armada